Meet Our Staff

Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is the largest single provider of mental health and psychological therapy services serving the local people of Derbyshire.

Talking Mental Health Derbyshire is an Improving Access to Psychological Therapy (IAPT) service. This was set up to ensure more people could get help with mental health problems, by offering a new type of service that hadn’t been seen before. IAPT services fit into a wider model of mental health services covering 5 steps. IAPT covers steps 2 and 3. You can find more information on the 5 steps of mental health care here

To ensure the widest possible provision of our therapeutic services, our IAPT therapy service Talking Mental Health Derbyshire continues to work in consortium with our partner organisations: Derwent Rural Counselling Service, an independent charity based in Bakewell and Relate, "the relationship people", a national charity providing counselling, support and information for all relationships. We will see anyone who we feel will benefit from our services, priding ourselves on being the provider of choice for those with mild or moderate anxiety or depression.

Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners

Psychological wellbeing practitioners work at tier 2, and are trained to assess and support people with common mental health problems – principally anxiety disorders and depression – in the self-management of their recovery. Psychological Wellbeing practitioners work to aid clinical improvement and social inclusion, including return to work, meaningful activity or other occupational activities. This is done through the provision of information and support for evidence-based low intensity psychological treatments, but also includes physical exercise and supporting medication adherence.

Psychological wellbeing practitioners:

undertake patient-centred interviews

identify areas where the person wishes to change how they feel

make an assessment of risk the client poses to themselves and others

provide assisted self-help, liaise with other agencies and provide information about services

Usually work with clients by offering telephone support sessions

Training

PWP training is commissioned by the NHS and delivered by local universities. It consists of 45 days of academic work (at one day per week) and four days supervised practice, usually distributed over two or sometimes three semesters.

PWP training is open to people from a range of educational and vocational backgrounds. Those with a degree will typically undertake a postgraduate certificate and those without a degree will normally undertake an equivalent graduate-level qualification. The training is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). PWPs who have completed an accredited course can join the BPS PWP register, or apply for recognition by the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies (BABCP).

Training places are open to either:

graduates or those who can demonstrate that they can meet the academic requirements of the post graduate level qualification

Cognitive Behavioural Therapists

Cognitive Behavioural (CBT) therapists work at tier 3 and usually see people face to face, although they may work by telephone or online.

Entry requirements:

a degree in nursing, social work, occupational therapy, arts therapy, psychology or psychotherapy

experience of working in mental health

an accredited postgraduate qualification in CBT

They work with mental health difficulties like anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) or panic disorders to help clients change the way they think and act.

Day to day this may include:

assessing clients to see if they'll benefit from CBT

discussing therapy plans with clients, focusing on what they want to change

encouraging clients to talk about feelings and behaviour

setting 'homework' for clients to do

helping clients practise the changes you've discussed

providing group sessions

checking clients' progress

providing advice to other health professionals

talking to family members

keeping accurate records

following data protection and confidentiality rules

working with other professionals like psychiatrists, other therapists, social workers and mental health nurses to help clients get the most appropriate services.

They may have professional registration, such as nursing, psychology or occupational therapy, and should all be accredited with the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy. More information can be found at www.babcp.com.

Counsellors

Counselling is an umbrella term which includes many approaches to working with clients. You can find more information about the different types of counselling we offer under the Interested in having talking therapy tab.

Counsellors may work with people who have mild to moderate mental health problems, either as individuals or groups in a safe and confidential environment, encouraging them to look at their choices and find their own way to make a positive change in their life.

They may work by:

agreeing with them what will be discussed

encouraging them to talk about their feelings

listening carefully, asking questions and checking that they understand a client's situation

empathizing with the client’s issues, but challenging them when necessary

helping clients to see things more clearly or in a different way

providing advice to other health professionals

talking to family members

keeping accurate records

following data protection and confidentiality rules

working with other professionals like psychiatrists, other therapists, social workers and mental health nurses to help clients get the most appropriate services.

Counsellors with Talking Mental Health Derbyshire need a recognised counselling qualification, which may be at diploma, degree and postgraduate level. In addition, they have specialist training on one of the approved therapies we provide.

Managers

The service is run by a management team comprising a senior Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner, 5 Service Managers who run day to day operations across the county, a Clinical Lead who is responsible for overseeing all aspects of our clinical work, and an Area Service Manager who reports to the Trust and the commissioners about the performance of the service.